Norwalk food scene an ever-evolving one

Hour Photo/Alex von Kleydorff For Norwalks Food scene you will need a set of these

Hour Photo/Alex von Kleydorff For Norwalks Food scene you will need a set of these

Norwalk food scene an ever-evolving one

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With an influx of new restaurants coupled with an array of local favorites, the city of Norwalk has morphed into a dining destination.

Offering cuisine for nearly every palate, food lovers are flocking to not only South Norwalk for trendy bites, but also to areas scattered all over the city.

"Every year, we see Norwalk come a little more to life," said Kristien Del Ferraro of the food blog, OmNomCT. "The city has a lot of potential and we're really rooting for it."

Over the past year, Del Ferraro said she and her husband, Dan, have sampled cuisine from a wave of new eateries entering the city, including Washington Prime and Bar Sugo.

"It's become more of a hub and a destination," Kristien said. "There's always going to be the favorites like Match, Pasta Nostra and Strada 18, but there are so many new places coming in like Harlan Public and The Beer Garden. And the restaurants are all relatively close together, so you can get a drink and an appetizer at one place and then dinner at the next one."

In 2010, the Del Ferraros started their award-winning food blog after relocating to Connecticut. Since then, the two have gained recognition for their insight into all things edible in lower Fairfield County.

"We've noticed that a lot of the restaurants in Norwalk are stepping up their games with their décor, beer selection and food because of all of the new restaurants coming in," Kristien said. "The Spread is one of our favorites and Basso Café is a hidden gem that we absolutely adore. It's awesome and BYOB. We love that place."

A few others on the Del Ferraros list of favorites include Bar Sugo "for the best meatballs", Washington Prime for its all you can eat brunch and Valencia Luncheria.

"I could eat at Valencia everyday if it wouldn't make me fat!" Kristien said. "Another place that I love is the Sand Wedge. I had a sandwich there that tasted like Thanksgiving, it was so good. And Letizia's Pizza is a really great pizza place that has BYOB without a corking fee!"

For breakfast, the Del Ferraros frequent the SoNo Baking Company & Café and for lunch, Los Molcajetes is a favorite.

"Those tacos are legit," Dan said.

Another popular food blog -- Fairfield County Foodie, penned by Yamini Lal, delves into her personal journey to discover the food scene in Fairfield County and beyond.

A self-described "foodie," Lal said the goal of her blog is not to criticize any restaurant or chefs, but rather to celebrate great food, chefs and restaurants.

"I feel Norwalk is a supremely diverse town," Lal said. "And I love the variety of culinary experiences it has to offer as a result. Think Mexican, think Venezuelan, think Spanish, think Indian."

Over the last few years, Lal said there have been many changes to the Norwalk food scene, some of which she said are both good and bad.

"Quite a few restaurants closed and made way for new ones," Lal said. "The food scene is definitely richer or perhaps trendier with the recent newcomers. Fairfield County is truly gifted with some amazing culinary talent. That is indeed a reason to celebrate."

A few of Lal's go-to restaurants in Norwalk include: Barcelona, The Spread, Thai Spice and The Royal Guard Fish and Chips.

"SoNo Seaport Seafood has a neat waterfront location and dining on their deck in summertime is just priceless," Lal said. "Their hot lobster roll is my favorite. I also, love, love, love Rincon Taqueria for the most authentic home style Mexican. More important, I love the wonderful warm family (Soledad, Maria and Matthew) behind it."

According to the Norwalk Health Department, there are 621 licensed food establishments in the city.

That number includes four separate categories that define the type of establishment -- everything from pre-packaged foods at gas station to diners to fine dining.

A rating system is used by the Health Department to provide the public with information on the sanitary conditions of restaurants in the class three and four categories.

In an effort to reward the city's food establishments that have maintained the highest rating for the four most recent inspections, the Norwalk Board of Health created the Lighthouse Certificate Award Program.

"The Health Department is also looking into the possibility of starting a healthy food option to let the public know where they can find healthy foods in Norwalk and surrounding towns," said Theresa Argondezzi, Health Educator for the Norwalk Health Department. "We're working with community partners and registered dieticians to see what constitutes a healthy meal and then we'll create a list of places that are participating."

Argondezzi said the department hopes to launch the healthy food option on its website in early 2015.